Do you think chefs cry when cutting onions?

No, they don't.

And it isn't because years of working in the kitchen have hardened their hearts to the point that the only ways they can feel something are through the birth of their new baby girl and the realization that somewhere down the line they have to give her up to another person and hope they treat her like the princess she is, but because they keep their knife sharp as hell.

This is a Chef's Knife:

This in particular is a Victorinox Fibrox Chef's Knife, a fairly cheap professional knife that will last you forever and you can find it on Amazon for about $30, if you are brave enough to storm the stronghold of Bezos to retrieve one. A Chef's knife is the most versatile tool of the apocalyptic chef's toolbox, and one that you have to take care of with your life.

That's right: you can lose your life, but never your knife.

It is your first and last love. Name it, clean it, take care of it, and most importantly, keep it sharp at all times.

A dull knife is perhaps the most dangerous thing in a kitchen, as they are a vector for all kinds of accidents, most of them requiring you to stitch a finger with a fishing hook and floss if you are not careful.

A Chef's knife must do most of the job by simply being sharp and exerting as little force on it as possible. The sharper the knife, the cleaner the cut. This helps with certain leaky foods from spilling everywhere, the most notorious of this is the onion. You see, when you cut into an onion it releases a chemical known as syn-propanethial-S-oxide, also known as the sad juice. The only way to avoid the sad juice is to have a sharp enough knife that it doesn't release it at all, thus dying with dignity under your might.

If your knife is dull, you might need to exert unnecessary force on it, and more force = less control. And you want to have complete control of the knife at all times.

Believe me, for I lost a few centimeters learning that lesson.

Now, there are several kinds of knives as well and several kinds of materials they can be made. Some might be specific for a task while others, like the Chef's knife, are more multitask. It is imperative to know what knife is for each job so you don't end up lobbing a fingertip. You leave that to their weird cultist down the street.

Stainless Steel Knife:

Stainless steel is an alloy of iron, chrome, nickel, vanadium, and/or molybdenum, with only a small percentage of carbon. There are the most common. Kinda hard to sharpen, but the sharpness lasts more. Tough, hardy, and always reliable.

Titanium Knife:

Titanium is lighter than stainless steel but not as hard and is harder to sharpen. It is more elastic than steel and does not add any kind of flavor and odor to knives. These are not as common, and can hold a sharper edge than the stainless steel ones, but require more maintenance.

Ceramic Knife:

Harder and sharper ceramic. Maintains edge for longer. They are more fragile and require special tools for sharpening. Useless during a crisis, but interesting to have otherwise.

Chef's Knife:

It is the most practical of all because, due to its size and design, it is the one best suited for multiple functions: chopping, cutting, shredding , etc. The chef's knife blade has a length of about 6 - 8 inches. The handle is highly balanced and allows a perfect and secure hold. The blade of this knife is wide at its base and narrow at the tip. Learn and take good care of this knife because, without a doubt, it is your most important tool.

Paring Knife:

It is small, with a narrow, pointed blade about 4 inches length. It is the knife that we will use to carry out small tasks in the kitchen such as peeling, chopping, rounding vegetables, or all kinds of delicate and artistic works.

Boning Knife(stop giggling):

It has a thin, pointed blade with a length of about 8 inches. It is used to remove the bones of all types of meat, including poultry, and also to bone fish. It has a size that allows you to enter easily through narrow grooves; its handle is large and robust compared to the blade to be able to exert great force in its manipulation.

Use every knife for their appropriate job, and you will be able to keep your fingers. For now.

As to how to grab a knife, well, the best way I can describe it is to pinch it like so.

It will allow you to exert force while having full control of the knife. Any other way will be incredibly dangerous to use.

As to how to keep the knife sharp, I have embedded a video that explains how to do it, since it is a very technical matter. Do make sure to watch it all the way!

And know that you have a knife, know how to clean and choose your vegetables and meat, it is time to start learning how to cook, and not die trying.